The former Anglican Church Grammar School student was selected by the Bulls at pick No.49 and is set to pocket a one-year $US500,000 ($530,732) contract as a first-year rookie in the world’s best basketball competition.

Bairstow is following in the footsteps of Australian basketball legend Luc Longley, who attended the same college, the University of New Mexico, and won three NBA championships alongside Jordan at the Bulls in the 1990s. As a second-round draft selection, Bairstow’s place on the Chicago roster is not guaranteed while fellow Australian and Melbourne teenage prodigy Dante Exum was taken by Utah at pick No.5 and is poised to signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal with the Jazz.

One of seven children to Runcorn couple Ian and Penny Bairstow, the 206cm-tall Bairstow had a late growth spurt and only stopped adding centimetres to his frame two years ago.

He made his first Queensland team at the under-18 level and went on to play for the Queensland under-20s, Brisbane Capitals state league side and the AIS before heading to the US where he starred for the Lobos in the recent college season.

“I’m just so pleased for him. This is something he has worked so hard for,’’ Penny said yesterday.

Bairstow is part of the Australian Boomers squad and is in the frame to represent his country at this year’s World Championships. He will be the sixth Australian, and second Queenslander, in the NBA.

News.com.au's Privacy Policy includes important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information (including to provide you with targeted content and advertising based on your online activities). It explains that if you do not provide us with information we have requested from you, we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. It also explains how you can access or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature.